HOLLAND FOOTBALL

The transfer policies of Ajax brings the interesting question about imports and exports of players in the early 1970s Europe – there was a change in 1972, related to Ajax as well, but the topic will be explored later. There are still tournaments to be narrated first. After winning the European Champions Cup, Ajax met Glasgow Rangers for brand new competition – the European Super Cup. Theoretically, the Super Cup appeared to be top of European football, opposing the winners of the European Champions Cup and the Cup Winners Cup of the year. But the competition was largely designed to take the place of the Intercontinental Cup – the reason really was the crisis of this tournament: the constant violence, which led to Ajax’s refusal to play at all in 1971. The Intercontinental Cup was hardly the summit of world club football, if the best European clubs refused to participate. UEFA tried to design a remedy – the Super Cup. It turned out to be a failure: attracting little interest from the start, the Super Cup never became the top European challenge – clubs, fans, football commentators never considered it important. Certainly not more important than the Europeans Champions Cup. The first Super Cup was not even played in 1972, but in 1973. Ajax won both games against Glasgow Rangers: 3-1 in Glasgow and 3-2 in Amsterdam. One more cup which Michels did not win, but Kovacs did…

Super Cup 1972
1st Leg, Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, 16 Jan 1973, att 58000

Rangers (1) 1 Ajax (2) 3
34' 0-1 A: Rep
41' 1-1 R: MacDonald
45' 1-2 A: Cruijff
76' 1-3 A: Haan

Rangers
McCloy; Jardine, Mathieson; Greig, Johnstone, Smith; Conn (McLean),
Forsyth, Parlane, MacDonald, Young
Ajax
Stuy; Suurbier, Hulshoff; Blankenburg, Krol, G.Mühren; Haan, A.Mühren, Rep, Cruijff, Keizer


2nd leg, De Meer Stadium, Amsterdam, 24 Jan 1973, att 40000

Ajax (2) 3 Rangers (2) 2
2' 0-1 R: MacDonald
12' 1-1 A: Haan
35' 1-2 R: Young
37' 2-2 A: G.Mühren pen
79' 3-2 A: Cruijff
Ajax won 6-3 on aggregate

Ajax
Stuy; Suurbier, Hulshoff; Blankenburg, Krol, Haan; Neeskens, G.Mühren, Swart, Cruijff, Keizer
Rangers
McCloy; Jardine, Mathieson; Greig, Johnstone, Smith; McLean, Forsyth, Parlane, MacDonald, Young